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Half marathon training begins

2013 was a rough year for me in many ways. Health issues really took a toll on my running schedule, so now I am starting over again, trying to build up some endurance.

I have been running a little, but not really enough to count.

There is a trail out in Mount Juliet I have had my eye on for a month or two now. The trail passes the elementary school where Ashley referees basketball. One Saturday a couple weeks ago, I went with her to her game, and took my running clothes with me; I decided to go for a run. I felt really tough that day, because it was brutally cold and windy, and part of the trail took me past a pond with a fountain that, thanks to the wind, was showering me slightly. I didn’t put in more than about two miles that day, but I was still frozen from head to toe when I got back to the gym.

On Monday, we officially began our training plan for the Indy Mini Marathon that we will run with my dad on May 3. We are following a training plan that Ashley found, which incorporates Nike workouts into the running schedule. On Monday, we did what is called the “Hurricane.” It is a 45 minute workout with walking lunges, squats, lots of jumping, etc., that we can do in our living room using an iPhone and the TV. Each exercise lasts either 30 or 60 seconds and is followed by 10 seconds of rest.

On Tuesday we were to run a mile. It was about 22 degrees outside, so we went to the gym and did our sprints that Dr. Jason, our chiropractor, is having Ashley do (and with the first time she ran these as an exception, I have been doing these with her). These sprints entail giving all you have for 20 seconds, then recovering for 40 seconds and repeating this process 10 times. Some days it seems as if these are getting easier, but on Tuesday they were certainly not easy. We are not sure what Dr. Jason’s goal is here, but I do believe it is giving us some cardio strength, so we run them whenever possible.

On Wednesday, we were in the Franklin area picking up Ashley’s new beautiful Cannondale bicycle, so we stopped by the River Park trail and ran our mile and a half that we were scheduled to do that day. The weather was cooperating a little more than it had been, so we thought we would be okay. WRONG. The cold weather really took a toll on our lungs and made the run quite difficult. We made it through the mile and a half, though neither of us felt very good afterward (although I think Ashley forgot about the pain once she got her bike 😉 ). I lucked out on the deal, too, because I get to use her old bike, and it fit me perfectly without having to do any adjustments other than raising the seat a centimeter or two. The nice guy at the bike shop fit me to the bike at this time.

I’m looking forward to continuing the training for this half. I have been reading “Mile Markers” by Kristin Armstrong, and I gain a lot of motivation from it. I’m just hoping the weather will warm up a little so I can get out there and enjoy the miles!

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2 thoughts on “Half marathon training begins”

I have multiple things to say about this post:
1. The Nike workouts are great!
2. So glad to hear you’re reading Mile Markers…love that book so much.
3. This post made me want to go out and run, but I did not, as Chiberia these days is not built for running (unless you want to fall).
4. Go, Bri, go!